Thoughts about Art
Since the beginning of humankind man has been trying to develop methods and capabilities to share the inner workings of one person’s mind with that of another. Art, language, music and dance are all manifestations of this attempt to communicate and share. As a highly “eusocial” species humanity has survived, evolved and prospered due in large part to its communicative abilities. We are still developing new methods to disseminate new ideas. I believe the motivation to do such is integral to our humanness. We have evolved this amazing capacity that is entwined in the fabric of who we are. Communicative abilities, in relation to art making, appear to have genetic aspects. Another important role of the artist is creative problem solving, being able to look at problem and see it in a new light. Our culture places a high value on creativity and innovation. A strong case can be made that this is a key to our species evolutionary survival. There have been no cultures or societies on the planet devoid of art or art appreciation. Just as conventional language has been shown to have a genetic component, I believe that the making/appreciation of art may be another genetic trait that has evolved within our species.

On My Work
I have come to realize that our perceptions are more about relationships and comparisons than about the things themselves. I am mesmerized by early Tantric arts and the idea of integrating opposites. Once one becomes comfortable with the language of art, the elements and principles of design, then the expressions of ideas and feelings becomes the main goal. In a systemic sense, one uses the elemental building blocks of line, shape, color, form, etcetera, to create an experiential sense of balance or tension. In my work I find the balance of "ideas" to be just as important and engaging. The beautiful and the grotesque, the graceful and the awkward become compositional notions that can only be appreciated in their fullest when juxtaposed with one another.

The symbiotic relationships between disciplines, particularly between the sciences and the arts, is another area of study that has engaged me through out my career. Lately, I have been giving a great deal of thought to the balance between the needs of the “individual” versus those of the “society”. The writings of biologist E. O. Wilson, in relation to the evolutionary origins of altruism, sheds an interesting light on this topic.

My creative process usually involves an initial concept, idea or narrative that drives the decision making. Once that is established, an idealized “mode of operandi” with specific constraints, rules and protocol are more or less established. How memory functions in relation to the composing process may be part of that protocol. In almost all cases these “precepts” are over-ruled when other approaches are found  more helpful in communicating the initial intent.

Memory itself is a crucial element in the evolution of the work. It operates on a number of levels. As different emotions are expressed, memory is the key to opening the pathways needed to stay in touch with past experience. It’s accuracy and clarity are always shaded as we accumulate more experience. Unlike “action painting” where there may be a one to one relationship between the artist’s emotional state and the composition, my state of mind, while working, is usually one of controlled concentration. It is sometimes humorous to find oneself in a state of tranquility while attempting to express memories of ecstatic hyper jubilation or jittery angst.

"Compassion”, from the Extremities and Digits Series